Railway wheel checking device



I 0d 2l, 1947- M. w. G|EsKIENG v RAILWAY WHEEL CHECKING lIDEVICE Filed June 29, 1945 02pm/:yar Amp/wer ro :ign/3.

mvENToR I AMR/0N W G/ ATroRNEY.

atented @et 2i, if I nauwer WHEEL cnEcxING nnvrcn Marion W. Gieskeng, Denver, Colo. Application June 29, i945, serial no. $02,375

This invention relates to a railway wheel inspection device and has for its Principal object the provision of a device of this character whichl when placed along the rails of a railway track will give a positive indication of broken treads, iianges, etc., on passing Wheels regardless of the speed of the train.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that there will be no mechaniical contacts of any nature withthe wheels and no moving or wearing parts. e

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and e'iciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the-description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation of a typical railroad track, illustrating one form of the invention in place on the rail thereof Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, incorporated in a circuit diagram; and

. Fig. 3 is a similar cross sectionand circuit diagram illustrating an alternate form of the invention.

In all views a typical railway rail is illustrated at I with its supporting ties at Il and the positions of a typical car wheel are indicated in broken line at l2. The complete track, of course, has a similar rail placed parallel to the rail I0. Since both rails of the track are similarly treat-l ed in this invention, the latter will be described as applied to the rail II), it being understood that a similar installation is also applied to the parallel rail of the track. y

In applying the rst form of the invention to the rail I0, a plurality of brackets I3 are placed along the outside of the rail I9 in spaced-apart relation and a similar plurality ofjbrackets I4 are placed along the inside ofthe rail ID. Each pair of brackets I3 and I4 are clamped together on opposite sides o f the web of the rail by means of suitable clamp bolts I5, there being electrical insulation I6 interposed between the rail I0,

the brackets I3 and IB and the bolts I5 so that y the brackets are electrically insulated from the Claims. (Cl. 246-169)V tachment screws I8, The wire clamps l1 of the brackets I3 support a tread pickup wire I9 and the clamps I7 of the brackets I4 support a flange pickup wire 2u.

The tread pickup Wire I9 extends along the rail lll parallel, and in spaced relation, to the path Y "suitable insulators 22. The length of the wires I9 and 20 is suiicient to exceed the circumference of the largest expected railway wheel. l

That section of the rail parallel to the wires I9 and 20 is energized in a longitudinal direction -by means of a radio frequency current from any suitable conventional radio frequency oscillator, indicated at 23. The leads 4from the oscillator, indicated at 2li, are connected to the rail I9, as indicated at 25, at points beyond the extremities of the wires i9 and 29. 'I'he insulated extremities of the wires I9 are connected to the\ opposite extremities of a transformer primary coil 26 by means of conductors 2l. 'I'he mid-point of the coil 26 is grounded to the rail ill .by means of a ground lead 28.

The magnetic lines of force about the rail are,

'of course, at right angles to its axis and are cut by the wires I9 and 20 causing a current to be induced -into them. Since ,the phase of this current is normally the same in both wires, the two equal currents will cancel each other in a secondary coil 29.

'I'he wires I9 and 20 are so spaced in relation to the rail l0 and in relation to the path of a normal wheel I2 that the saine current will be induced in both wires either when no wheel'is in position therebetween or when a normal wheel is passing along the rail. The passage of normal treads and flanges will produce the same shielding eiect on their` respective pickup wires. If, however, either the tread or the ange of a wheel is broken` away, the shielding eect will will become unbalanced and more current will ilow through one end of the coil 26 than the of which is placed immediately below the path of the rim of the tread of the wheel I2 and the ther or which is imbedded in suitable insulation in a groove 34 in the flange side of the head of the rail. The other lead from the oscillator 32, indicated at 35, is grounded to the rail. The far extremity of each of the wires 33 is also grounded to the rail.

Therefore, in this form, the wires 33 serve the same purpose asl the rail I served in the pre-- ceeding form that is to generate magnetic lines .of force thereabout. This form is also provided to the wires I9 and 20 previously described. The

wires 31 and 33 are connected to a balanced transformer 40 by means of conductors 4l as in the preceding form. The mid-point'of the primary coil of the transformer is connected to the rail by a lead 42.

The operation and results obtained are 'similar to the preceding form, a. rectifying and amplifying set 43 similar to the previously described set 30 being used to supply current to signal output leads M.

In all forms illustrated, the circuits at the two sides of one rail have been balanced against each other on the transformer. It is, of course, conceivable that the. same effect may be attained by balancingthe flange circuit of one rail with eitherthe flange or tread circuit of the opposite rail. In fact any two oi' the four circuits may be balanced against each other as desired.

In .all forms of the invention some form of radiant energy is caused to flow'between electrodes or other devices. I'he paths of now being intercepted by parts of the rolling wheel. This energy may be electronic, magnetic or beams of light. It is to be understood that the term -radiant energy" refers to any of these forms.

While'a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desiredto beunderstood that the same may be l varied, within the scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of the invent on.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A detecting device for detecting broken away portions of the tread and flange of a railway wheel comprising: means positioned to project radiant energy across the paths ofthe tread and flange of said wheel; a first receiving means extending along said rail and receiving the radiant energy being projected across the path of the l'tread of said wheel; a second receiving means extending along said rail` and receiving radiant energy being projected across the pathof the being arranged so that the currents induced therein will be balanced in strength normally and during the passage of a complete wheel and adapted to be' unbalanced during the passage of an incomplete wheel; and means actuated in consequence of any differential in the strength between the radiant energy received by said two receiving means for giving an indicating signal.

2. A railway wheel defect detecting device comprising: a rail supporting said wheel;l means for passing a radio frequency current longitudinally of said rail; a tread pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail in spaced relation to the path of the tread of said wheel; a flange pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail on the opposite side thereof 'in spaced relation to the path of the flange of said wheel, said wires extending parallel to said rail in inductive relation thereto and to a passing wheel tread and a passing wheel flange, respectively; a circuit in cluding each wire, said circuits being balanced so that the induced currents in each are balanced normally and during passage of a complete wheel and are adapted to be unbalanced upon pas sage of a wheel with a broken tread or flange; and means for translating the difference in the induced currents of the two circuits into signal indications.

3. A. railway wheel defect detecting device comprising: a rail supporting said wheel; means for passing a radio frequency current longitudinally of said rail; a tread pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail in spaced relation tothe path of the tread 'of said wheel; a flange pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail on the opposite side thereof in spaced relation to the path of the flange of said wheel; a primary winding, one portion of said winding being in a first circuit -with the flange pickup wire and said rail, another portion thereof being in a second circuit with the tread pickup wire and said rail, said circuits being arranged so that the currents induced therein will be balanced normally and-during passage of a complete wheel and being adapted to be unbalanced upon passage of a wheel with a broken tread or flange; and means for translating current differences between said portions into an indicating signal.

4. A railway wheel defect detecting device comprising: a rail supporting said wheel; means for passing a radio frequency current longitudinally of said rail; atread pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail in spaced relation to the path of the tread of said wheel; a flange pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail on the `opposite side thereof in spaced relation to the path of the flange of said wheel; a primary winding, one portion ofrsaid winding being in a first circuit'with the flange pickup wire and said rail, another portion thereof beingin a second circuit with the tread pickup wire .and said rail said circuits being arranged so that the currents induced therein will be balanced normally and during passage of a complete wheel and being adapted to be unbalanced upon passage of a wheel with a broken tread or flange, the circuit now in said two portions vbeing in opposite directions; a secondary winding in inductive relation to said primary winding; and means for translating the currentindlced in said secondary winding into an indicatin signal.

5. A railway wheel defect dtectin device comprising: a rail supportingxsaidtwheel; meansfor passing a radio frequencycurr'entlongitudinally of said rail; a tread pickup wire extending 5 longitudinally-of said rail in spaced relation to the path of the tread of said wheel; a flange pickup wire extending longitudinally of said rail on the opposite side thereof in spaced relation tothe path of the i'lange of said wheel, one extremity of each of said wires being grounded to said rail, the remainders thereof being insulated from said rail, said wires extending'parallel to .said rail in inductive relation thereto and vto a passing wheel tread and a passing wheel flange, respectively: 'a circuit including each wire, said circuits being balanced so that the induced curn rents in each 'are balanced normally and during passage of a complete wheel and are adapted to be unbalanced upon passage of a wheel with a broken tread or flange; a primary transformer winding; means grounding the mid-point of said coil to said rail, Veach extremity of said coil being connected to the insulated extremity oi' one of said pickup wires; a secondary transformer winding positioned in inductive relation to said primary winding; amplifying means connected with said secondary winding for amplifying the electric impulses received therefrom; and signal means operable from said secondary winding for giving a signal indication in consequence of the current received from said amplifying means.

MARION W. GIESKIENG.

REFERENCES The following references are of record in the ille of this patent: 

